In Christianity, “The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit” is a common term. Referred to as the trinity by Catholics and other branches of the faith, this doctrine teaches that the one Godhead is three persons, and even where understanding is lacking about the subject, there is a general agreement that three (3) representations of God exist, yet being one in unity. I never could get understanding about all that. I just accepted it--from a distance, since the concept and teaching had been around for a long time. I believe that most who believe in this three-tiered hierarchy in diety do so sincerely. The majority have always allowed a handful to make the rules and do the leading, without questioning. It makes this whole thing of “worship” a lot easier, but it isn’t always a journey into truth. So, I must address this issue of three personalities on one throne, because I believe this is a natural assumption of a spiritual reality. My assertion is that God is and has always been the One (and only).
I learned the story of Jesus of Nazareth at a young age. I understood him to be the son of God, born of a virgin, sent to be the sin sacrifice for the world. I never doubted he was a wonderful, giving, loving, special human being. As I got older and came to know him in a much deeper way, I was in awe of his perfect ministry, his wise words, his power over the storms and all the supernatural abilities he possessed. Who wouldn’t be in awe of that? He was, after all, the Son of God. How was he picked to be the son of God? Wasn’t he predestined for this calling before his birth? Scriptures say we are in "the loins of our father” before we are born. Was Jesus of Nazareth hidden in the spirit realm before he showed up here?
I believed, like the popular teaching, that Jesus was a man whose birth was a miracle because his human mother had not become pregnant the normal way. His conception was by spiritual means, and his true father was God himself. And he had a divine mission to carry the sins of the world and die an appointed death. He had no say in the matter. His life was not his own. He was born to die. Wasn’t that a cruel lot to lay on an innocent man? No matter what the reward he had, it was a tough calling. Being human, I could not imagine willingly giving up my life to die for people who would despise me, yet he had to be of that mind set. He had to submit to his heavenly father’s will and give it all. This boggles the mind of the human perspective. What an assignment!!
But there is more to this story than meets the eye, because even though the truth is in the scriptures, they are hidden from our natural understanding, yet there for the taking when spiritual enlightenment enters in. We know that the birth of God’s Christ, the Messiah, was prophesied. We know that this was God’s plan always, and man had nothing to do with it. We know (if you’ve been reading this book) that God always knew a man would be needed to be a sin sacrifice, a man who was without spot and untouched by the corruption of mankind, to offer himself. His life/blood represents the life of the soul of mankind, the soul that has been manipulated by the world, the flesh and the devil in this darkened realm we were dropped into. What kind of a man could accomplish this? God knew that any man tainted by the pollution of this gross, material realm could not; otherwise, he wouldn’t have made plans for a Savior of the world. (1 John 4:14)
Jesus’ birth was planned at the appointed time. But what was it about him that made him a worthy candidate who would have the ability to succeed and walk a perfect life, if he was willing. What kind of motivation would be needed for this kind of mission? Was he an obedient robot, or driven by divine passion? Was he half man and half God, the God side overtaking the flesh side? I always thought so, until I embraced the truth.
If Jesus possessed the Adamic human nature in any degree, he would NOT have qualified to be our savior, because all men had sinned (Roman 5:12) just by being born into this realm. It wasn’t our fault, but was a result of the curse on mankind, for which God took responsibility--to right what was wrong. The 1st Adam was a living soul, but the 2nd Adam (Jesus) was a living spirit (1 Corin 15:45); therefore, he did not come from man.
The truth of the matter is that God became his own son. He extended himself out from his high realm of spirit, down into the body of a young woman who contributed her human nature in a veil of flesh. This was not a human/divine conception, but totally divine out of the fulness of God, himself, who bears within his nature a female expression (El Shaddai). Why else would Adam have had a female already hidden in him? Because God does too. Mary provided the home for the baby to grow in, so he (Jesus) could become attached to this realm, becoming immersed in the same sorrow that we are born into.
Yes, Jesus was 100% God veiled in a flesh body. That is the only way he could be both a perfect sin offering and a representative of Adam as the sin nature. God hung on the cross and took old Adam to his death, that we may live life more abundantly. An enigma to be sure, but by no other means would this have been possible. His battle with the powers of this realm (the 40 day temptation in the wilderness) led to victory over the sin-conscious human nature that was symbolized by the veil of flesh wrapped around him. He suffered like any human, but was not corrupted by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. No mere mortal would have ever accomplished this feat, for only God in his passion for his creation could have been motivated enough in love to send himself to be murdered!
It was God’s plan--not ours, to reveal himself in this realm, the realm he created for us. It was his plan to co-habitate with us, his creation. Jesus told his followers that if they had seen him, they had seen the Father, and that he and the Father were one. Father was making himself visible in his visitation as a man, his own offspring. The Most High gave himself a human body.
Since Jesus is the Father, what about the Holy Spirit? God came out of the spirit to manifest as a man and become the lamb slain “from the foundation of the world” (this was always the plan). Then he returned to spirit upon his resurrection. He sacrificed his human experience to return to his original habitation and offer his divine abilities, direction, and energy in a duplicated personage of himself. This gift would become our dearest ally. This was the Comforter, or Holy Spirit, who would represent Jesus to us, accessing Father at the same time. Jesus’ appearings as a man to many people before the day of Pentecost were for an assurance to them before he “disappeared” back into spirit form.
He had taught his disciples that he must go away or it would be impossible for him to be with all of his creation, including them. There is no way one man can minister to millions and billions. Jesus was the first-born of many brethren, so he had to go away (die to his humanity) to give himself back to them--and everyone else, via the Holy Spirit. (See John 14:16, 14:26, 16:7) He became a divine seed that was planted to reap a harvest of many, multiplied divine seeds. Through the Holy Spirit, all men could commune with God and grow into the same kind of person that Jesus was, even to becoming like God. God wanted a family he could commune with. But we had to be refined. So he made a plan to lower us into death, and then paid the price to redeem us out of that death.
After Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given, a new dispensation began of God and man fellowshipping together. Jesus was visible as a man no more. He was now “God with us”. His firstborn status opened the door for the rest of the family (us). But only He had to die, so we could live. At our appointed time, he awakens us to his presence, becoming manifest in spirit, soul and then body. Jesus contained the fulness of the Godhead, bodily--he was the Father, and He became the Holy Spirit through his sonship victory over death and hell. Three manifestations=one God. Like a multi-faceted gemstone (not limited to 3), God resides beyond our comprehension in spirit form yet able to extend himself out for whatever is needed.
God came as Father in the Son. He died as Son to become the birthing canal of many more sons, through his gift of Himself in the Holy Spirit. Jesus of Nazareth--the man, no more. No appearing in literal clouds. No containment in temples made with hands. But something much more wonderful and miraculous. He has made himself available to commune with us 24/7 in his beautiful gift of love, even the giving of the Comforter. This way he will truly never leave us or forsake us. Yes, God laid the heavy burden of descending to our realm to suffer and die on an innocent man: Himself.
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Note concerning the next chapter: Please do not be intimidated by its title, for the reader should find it very enlightening. The truth will make us free!
